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Ready for a monster good time? Our Halloween party tips should get you off to a growling, howling start. Creepy eats -Cut the ends off of black licorice twists and use them as straws. Put the black straws in orange drinks for the perfect Halloween color combo. Once the drink is gone, guests can eat their straws. -Make some Creepy Krispies. You need 2 cups of chocolate chips, 1/3 cup of Rice Krispies, 1/4 cup coconut and 1 1/2 cups chow mein noodles. Ask to melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the micro for 3 minutes on medium, then stir smooth.

Making hot cross buns is twice as fast when the dough is proofed in a microwave oven. But you`ll need to test your microwave first to determine the power setting. Place 2 tablespoons of cold stick margarine in a 6-ounce glass custard cup. Cook on low (10 percent) power for 4 minutes. If margarine melts in less than 4 minutes you should not proof dough in the microwave oven; the oven has too much power and will kill the yeast before the dough rises. Proofing in low-watt ovens or ovens without variable controls is not recommended.

Here is Mila Tomisek's letter explaining the story behind her winning recipe in the Tribune's 1990 Holiday Cookie Contest: "This recipe has been in my family for more than 100 years. My grandmother and mother made nut crescents, and I am 82 years old and still making them. My children, grandchildren, relatives and friends all love them. They last very well for a few months when stored in a cookie tin, layered with wax paper. "Going down memory lane . . . I learned to bake at my grandmother's knee.

Every chef faces challenges, but Waldy Malouf is tested in more ways than most. As chef and director of New York City's Rainbow, part of a complex that includes the Rainbow Room, he has to provide up to 2,000 meals on a normal day in 17 public and private facilities spread over the 64th and 65th floors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. But Malouf compounds the complexity of being big by insisting on thinking small. His 1995 book, "The Hudson River Cookbook" (Addison Wesley), underscores his devotion to seasonal foods and small-scale producers.

Entertaining and party giving are not strictly reserved for adults in a grown-up world. Given the opportunity, teenagers are avid and adept at throwing parties. Many occasions lend themselves to youthful entertaining-a post-football game bash, a pep rally or many of the activities that fill teens` fall schedule. Looking ahead to the month's end, this menu might also be apt for a Halloween bash. Composed of casual foods slanted to young appetites and tastes, these dishes are easy enough to be prepared by teens themselves.

The word "pumpkin" is thought to come from the Greek pepon, meaning "cooked by the sun." Of all canned fruits and vegetables, pumpkin (which is actually a fruit) is the best source of vitamin A: a half cup has more than three times the U.S. recommended daily requirement. Here are some recipes that put pumpkin to good use. PUMPKIN ROLL Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 12 minutes Cooling time: 20 minutes plus overnight Yield: 10 servings Adapted from a recipe at www.christmasrecipe.

Product with a purpose or just another gadget? According to Bob Bettinardi, 25, of Evergreen Park, who along with his father, Donald, invented the Donson Form-A-Patty, the burger mold does more than keep a cook's hands grease-free. "With our product you can make a burger that is exactly one-fourth or one-third of a pound, so with 2 pounds of meat you know exactly how many burgers you`re going to get," he says. The pattymaker also helps cooks make a plain hamburger into a gourmet treat just by adding stuffings between two patties.

Jeannette Wright constantly reuses plastic food containers, whether it's to carry snacks for her two young sons or store last night's dinner in the fridge. That is, until they get dirty. Or she loses them. Then she simply buys more. Gone are the days of putting your name on food storage containers or chasing down recipients of holiday cookies who have yet to return them. Wright, of West Allis, Wis., said it doesn't matter what happens to the containers because they cost only about $1 each.

Christmas comes and goes with such immense haste that it seems custom-built for the phrase, "Well, maybe next year." That is why it is not too early to suggest, particularly to families with young children, that it would be great to set aside at least a couple of hours for the construction of something, anything, authentic this Christmas. This is a holiday that these days is processed and packaged in Chinese factories, where baby Jesus statues are as competently created as crescent wrenches and a host of other fresh-from-the-factory items, just about all toys included, that have helped fuel the modern Chinese economic miracle.

The Tribune test kitchen receives many letters and phone calls each holiday season regarding cookies. Batter that doesn`t hold together, cookies that spread too much or burn on the bottoms or are difficult to remove from the baking sheet are just a few of the problems some cooks encounter. Despite their simple appearance and light-hearted name, cookies can be tricky to bake. Here are a few guidelines for better baking: Ingredients - Select the best ingredients available. - Use unsalted butter for the best flavor; it is not necessary to add additional salt to the recipe.